True Flesh And Blood
by Lil Badger 101
Summary: When Nick gets a surprise visit from his brother, it's obvious he's not pleased. What happened between them to create this long feud and what happens when Greg gets caught in the cross fire? Hope you like! x
1. Chapter 1: Blasts From The Past

**A/N: Another story Yey! ^_^ (or nay?) Hehe Oh my God it's another Nick and Greg story XD I know I must be boring you guys by now but I just keep having so many ideas and I just love writing about them. This one however is a little more Nick central but there is going to be plenty of angst for Greg too! It's only going to be a short on though just 3 or 4 chapters but I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with the CSI franchise. **

**Please Review :) xx**

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**Chapter 1: Blasts From The Past **

Greg was leaning on the counter top of the lab's reception waiting to see if he had any messages for the morning when a tall man approached him. The man had short black hair and was wearing black boots and jeans with a blue button down shirt, nothing unusual about that. However what Greg did find intriguing was that the man wore a skull ring on his left hand very similar to the one Nick had, and he had told Greg it was very rare.

"Excuse me sir?" the man said to Greg in a thick Texan accent. Greg smiled at the man to show he had his attention. "I'm looking for Nick Stokes?"

"Sure I'll take you to him" Greg replied eager to help as usual "Is he expecting you?" he asked after giving the lady at the reception a swift wave goodbye after she told him she had no messages.

"No not in so many words" the man said in a low voice and shoving his hands in his pockets.

"So how do you know Nick?" Greg asked curiously as he began to lead the way. He was currently guessing the man was an old friend of Nick's from Texas on a surprise visit.

The man opened his mouth to reply when Nick suddenly appeared from Grissom's office sifting through some papers.

"Oh, Nick!" Greg called and his older college looked up in horror at the sight of the man stood next to Greg.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Nick almost growled at the man. Greg remained stood in the middle his curious gaze zooming back and forth between the two men.

"Nicky please…" the man started but Nick soon interrupted.

"No, get the hell out of here!" Nick yelled. People in the surrounding labs stopped what they were doing to be nosey and see what was going on. "Get away from him Greg" Nick said in almost a whisper now. Greg remained where he was feeling awfully confused. "Greg get away" Nick said his tone more demanding now. He grabbed onto the young CSI's arm and pulled Greg behind him protectively.

"Still scared of me huh?" the other Texan sighed and looked down at the floor helplessly.

"I know what you're capable of" Nick said with a glare.

"Nick what's going on?" Greg whispered in his friend's ear more than a little worried now "Who is this guy?"

"This is Jason" Nick replied bluntly "My so called oldest brother"

"Nicky no matter what you believe I will always be your brother" Jason said trying to look meaningful but Nick just scoffed.

"You are no brother of mine and you know damn well why not" Nick said going and standing right up in his brothers face now. "Leave, and don't let me ever have to see you again" and with that he stormed off down the corridor. Jason ran a hand down in face and leaned against the wall. Everyone else went back to work.

"Nick, wait!" Greg called going after his friend to find out what was wrong, but Jason grabbed his wrist tight and pulled Greg back towards him.

"You're Greg Sanders right?" Nick's brother asked desperately. Greg slowly nodded but refused to take his eyes off Jason's iron grip. "Yes I know all about you, Nick talks about you a lot to our parents. He's very fond of you…" there was something about Jason's voice then that made Greg feel quite intimidated and scared. "And that means he'll listen to you, so I need you to get him to talk to me, just for five minutes" Jason pleaded looking desperate now.

"I don't know…" Greg said quietly feeling very hesitant. He may be feeling scared but that didn't give him the excuse to force Nick to talk to someone he clearly didn't want too. "I don't know what happened between you two but Nick's clearly upset by it and I don't want to make him do anything he doesn't want too."

"Please you have to help me" the man's grip tightened on Greg's wrist and the young CSI winced. "I've barely spoken to Nicky in nearly twenty five years. I just want to tell him I'm sorry and that I love him and miss him. I just want my brother back…" the man seemed genuinely broken. Greg bit his bottom lip whilst he considered this for a moment.

"Ok…I'll see what I can do" Greg finally conceded and the Texan smiled in relief finally letting go of Greg's wrist. Greg rubbed it sheepishly; it hurt pretty badly and was definitely going to leave a bruise. He wondered if strength was a genetic trait that ran in the Stokes family.

Greg went off in search for the younger of the two Texans. He found Nick minutes later sat alone in one of the interrogation rooms looking at the floor with his hands clasped. He seemed in deep thought.

"Nick?" Greg said quietly as he entered to room so as not to startle Nick.

"Hey G" Nick replied in a somewhat anguished voice. He didn't look up from the floor.

Greg quietly closed the door behind him and sat down opposite Nick still rubbing his wrist which had just started to turn purple.

"Look, I don't expect you to tell me what that was all about, it's obviously private" Greg said being very careful not the hurt Nick's feelings. "But I just want you to know that if there's anything bothering you, then you can talk me. I don't like seeing you upset." He explained genuinely.

"You…you wouldn't understand" Nick sniffed, he seemed close to tears and that made Greg feel sad as well.

"Hey…" he said softly reaching across the table to put a hand gently on Nick's arm "Man, you can tell me anything. I would never judge you."

"I know…" Nick said with a light smile looking Greg in the eyes. He felt so lucky to have someone like Greg as a friend. "Did Jason put you up to this?" he asked warily.

"In a sense" Greg said pulling his sleeve down lower over his bruised wrist. Nick sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair "but I would have come to see if you were ok anyway!" Greg quickly defended; he didn't want Nick to get mad at him.

"Greg, just please don't get involved. You don't know what went on back then and I don't want you to know." Nick said sternly.

"Ok" Greg said but he felt the need to push the matter further. "I know that I'm an only child so I will never fully understand this whole sibling thing, but you, Warrick and Sara are close enough and I know being the youngest of seven must be pretty tough, I mean I'm the youngest of us six and I hate it sometimes… but all I know is I couldn't stand to fall out with any of you and not talk to you no matter what you'd done, because your family and I love you guys." Wearing his heart on his sleeve was not something Greg had intended to do today but now seemed a more appropriate time than ever.

"Thanks Greg but…if you knew the things he'd done to me…he made my life a living hell. And yes I hate being the youngest too but at least I have you as a younger brother because it gives me the chance to be protective like older brothers should be" Nick explained "but that doesn't seem to apply to mine" he said with a scowl.

"Just give him five minutes" Greg said trying to play peacemaker as usual. Nick opened his mouth to protest but Greg held up a finger to interrupt him. "Listen to what he has to say and see where it goes, if you're still uncomfortable after that and you don't like it, tell him to leave and you won't ever have to see him again."

Nick sighed "I don't know Greggo…" he said still feeling really apprehensive. But everyone deserves a second change right? But the things he said and did…but this feud, had it been going on to long? Nick did have some good memories with his older brother before it had all happened, but they were easily over shadowed with the bad.

"Do it for me then, because I can't stand to see you upset." Greg said and Nick could see the sadness in his little brother's eyes.

"Alright" he said with a sigh "For you" Greg smiled and this time Nick went to put his hand on Greg's but he noticed Greg flinch.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked looking confused as Greg rubbed his wrist.

"Nothing, nothing's wrong why should anything be wrong?" Greg rambled seeming pretty quick to deny everything.

"Oh yeah? Then let me see your wrist" Nick challenged. Greg just moved his hands off the desk and hid them under the table. "Greg…let me see" Nick said seriously holding out his hand. Greg sighed and begrudgingly placed his hand out on the desk so Nick could see his now purple and blue wrist. At first Nick looked horrified but then he just looked plain angry. "Did Jason do this to you?" Nick asked quietly but Greg didn't reply if anything he seemed a little frightened. "Greg I'm not mad at you ok, I just need to know" Nick said calmingly slightly.

"Yeah…he did it" Greg said quietly pulling the sleeve down over his wrist. Nick cried out in rage at this slamming his fists down on the table, startling Greg. "He didn't mean too and it's not as bad as it looks." Greg said hoping to stop Nick from worrying.

"None of that matters, he hurt you!" Nick said angrily kicking his chair back and standing up.

"Nick relax it's just a bruised wrist" Greg said standing up too and trying desperately to calm his friend down.

"That's not the point!" Nick exclaimed. He knew how sensitive Greg had been to physical contact the past few months after he'd been beat up and Nick's good for nothing brother had clearly scared him. "I'm gunna kill him" he mumbled beneath is breath so Greg didn't hear him and stormed straight towards the door.

"Nick, wait!" Greg called thinking it really wasn't a good idea for Nick to go on a rampage around the lab.

"Just stay here Greg!" Nick commanded "Please, it's for your own good" and with that he left slamming the door behind him leaving Greg in a stunned silence.


	2. Chapter 2: Defensive

**A/N: Wow! Thanks for the amazing reviews already guys I love it! You know, the reason I update so fast is because you ask so nicely and leave such good comments I feel I owe it to you ;) so thanks for reading! This chapter Nick confronts his brother and is struggling to cope with Jason's sudden return to his life.**

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**Chapter 2: Defensive **

After a while of searching Nick eventually found his brother leant up against a wall outside the lab. Jason was smoking a cigarette which he threw to the ground and put out with his foot when he saw his younger brother approaching him.

"Nicky…" Jason started with a tone of sorrow, but he didn't get much further as Nick took a swing at his brother and hit him on the side of his jaw sending Jason flying to the ground.

Jason looked up at his kid brother in disbelief. Nick was breathing heavily, his eyes narrowed and his fists still clenched. He was absolutely furious. What happened to the innocent little kid Jason once knew who carried his teddy bear everywhere and was so curious about the world. That kid wouldn't hurt a fly, whereas this man looked ready to shoot him. Jason couldn't help but think Nick's loss of innocence was all his fault, and he wished he could put that right.

"That's for what you did to Greg!" Nick yelled looking down at his brother in disgust "but you deserve a whole lot worse, believe me. After what Greg said to me I started to think maybe I should give you a second chance, maybe you have changed. But from the way you acted towards him I see that you haven't changed at all, still hurting people to get what you want. I bet that was filled with crack or something huh?" he asked pointing at the cigarette stump on the ground "You're just the same old bastard."

"Nick please I'm sorry!" Jason begged as Nick turned away, he couldn't stand to look at his pathetic excuse of a brother anymore. "Look, where's Greg and I'll tell him myself I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt him, it was just a wrist…"

"No, no its way more than that, you don't know the hell he's been through!" Nick said turning back to Jason who was now picking himself up off the floor. "A few months ago he was beat up to point where he couldn't open his eyes and left in an alley, for dead. So yeah, now a bruised wrist is kind of a big deal for him because it will bring back so many painful memoires. You have already put me through hell I will not let you do the same to him!"

"I didn't know ok" Jason said raising his hands defensively "I feel terrible about it and I'll say sorry and make it up to him somehow I promise." He was desperate now, he'd really missed his little brother and was determined to make Nick see how much he meant to him and how he'd put his reckless past behind him… he just wished Nick would see…

"No" Nick said menacingly as he pointed a finger at his brothers chest "you stay the hell away from Greg you hear me? Or else you'll have me to answer too"

"Come on Nicky you don't mean that, you wouldn't hurt me…" Jason said grabbing onto his brothers shirt as Nick turned away once more.

"Get off me!" Nick yelled shoving his brother back against the wall and starting to walk away.

"Nick, come on!" Jason called after him growing impatient now "For God sake I'm your brother not Greg!"

He watched as Nick froze and slowly turned back round to face him. "Don't you dare call me your brother ever again." He said with a threatening glare "Greg is more of a brother to me than you will ever be. I love him like a brother and I don't love you. I don't care what you have to say. Now get the hell out of Vegas because I don't want to see you ever again" Nick emphasised before making his way back to the lab.

Jason leaned his back against the wall and slid slowly down to the ground. He just wanted his brother back more than anything it the world, but the things Nick had said and the way he had said them, it didn't seem like it was ever going to happen and that hurt Jason a lot. He knew his younger brother would never talk to him and see sense…at least, not with a certain little Greg Sanders in the way…

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Greg had left the interrogation room a few minutes after Nick had left and had decided to try and get on with some work but his mind kept wondering off and thinking of what could have possibly happened between Nick and his brother that made Nick hate him so much. Sure, Greg had felt more than a little intimidated when Jason had grabbed hold of his wrist, but he thought that might be due to his own psychological problems although it was clear Nick was scared of his brother too.

Greg gave up working after a while of not getting much done and went in search of Nick instead wanting to make sure he was ok. He was walking passed Grissom's office when he heard sniffing coming from inside. He opened the door slightly just to peek and saw Nick trying to wipe falling tears away with the back of his hand. God, this was worse than Greg thought. He was alone, Grissom must have been out.

"Nick?" Greg said quietly entering the room and closing the door behind him. The Texan looked up to acknowledge his presence but then looked back down at the ground not wanting Greg to see him like this, he knew Greg expected him to be the strong one, as did he. "Nick I'm sorry this all my fault" Greg said going over to lean on Grissom's desk and folding his arms. "I shouldn't have made you do that when you clearly didn't want to, I feel awful and I'm sorry." Greg said sincerely.

"None of this is your fault G, how could it be" Nick said leaning back in the chair and running a hand down his face as he finally got his emotions under control.

"No it's ok, I should learn to keep my nose out of stuff that isn't my business. I didn't mean for you to get upset" he just wanted Nick to know how sorry he was and how guilty he felt.

"Greg seriously it's alright, I know you were only trying to help and I appreciate the concern." Nick said giving his younger colleague a small smile which Greg returned. Nick could tell the kid was itching to ask how the talk, or rather fight, with Jason went but obviously didn't want to say anything from fear of seeming intrusive. "I told him to get lost" Nick mumbled "I yelled at him, a lot, and then I said I didn't want to see him again."

"So that's it? He's gone?" Greg asked.

Nick shook his head "I highly doubt it. Jason never stops, not until he gets what he wants." He sighed heavily leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together. "God, why can't he just leave me alone!" the CSI exclaimed growing frustrated again now. He hated how his brother managed to get to him like this because he knew that's exactly what Jason wanted.

"Well, do you want me to talk to him again?" Greg asked casually but Nick looked at him like he'd been slapped in the face.

"No!" the Texan replied assertively. "Greg please I'm begging you, please just stay away from him. He's dangerous" Nick said knowing full well if there was a next time Greg would more than likely walk away with more than a bruised wrist.

"Ok, I will I promise." Greg immediately replied not wanting to upset Nick further. But still Greg couldn't help but wonder what Jason must have done so wrong to make his own little bother so scared of him.

"I just can't believe he actually had the nerve to come here…" Nick suddenly spoke up in the silence "I mean I came to Vegas to get away from all the bad stuff in Texas and now he's brought all that stuff back with him…why can't he just leave me alone" he sniffed as tears started to fall again.

"Nick I'm sorry" Greg said sitting on the arm of the chair and wrapping his arms around his friend. Nick sobbed quietly into Greg's chest.

Greg just felt so helpless the only time he'd ever seen Nick so sacred and vulnerable was after they had found him buried alive, he hadn't properly felt safe for weeks and all Greg could do was watch as one of his best friend's worlds fell down around him, and it looked like now was going to be another one of those times. Greg would try his best to comfort Nick and try to cheer him up, but it would never really be enough.

"God I need to man up" Nick said eventually pulling away and wiping his eyes with back of his sleeve.

"Yeah I'm supposed to be the family baby!" Greg said jokingly with a light nudge in Nick's shoulder, Nick gave a small smile. "Man I don't care if you want to cry in front of me just let it all out. And I will be there for you anywhere and anytime if you need to talk about anything, even if it's about football which I have no idea about, I'll just smile and nod along." Greg said with a grin and Nick gave a light laugh.

"Thanks G" Nick said with a smile wrapping his arm around Greg's waist and giving him a one armed hug. He'd always felt Greg was the one that he could tell anything too and he would always listen. He didn't need his oldest brother because he had Greg to be his youngest and that's all the mattered to him.

Jason Stokes stood at the opposite side of the hall watching through the door as his younger brother put an arm around the spikey haired kid. The pure envy in the pit of his stomach flared and his vision became blinded with anger; that should be him with Nick not some random, scrawny little kid.

Yes, he needed to do something about this, and fast…

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**Dun, dun, duuuun ;) Tune in next time to find out why Nick hates his brother so much and what's going to happen to Greg! **


	3. Chapter 3: The First Time

**A/N: Howdy y'all! Hehe thank you, thank you, thank you times infinity for your amazing reviews. So like I said because you give such nice feedback, I update quick! And thanks for just reading! This chapter Nick has a flashback to the first time he realised his brother wasn't quite right and Greg is in trouble, again ;) Hope you enjoy little Nicky!**

**Please Review :) xx**

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**Chapter 3: The First Time **

Greg walked into the labs parking lot with a small smile on his face. After talking to Nick the pair had worked on a robbery together and things had gone really well. Nick had been joking and laughing as usual almost as if nothing had happened earlier on, although deep down there was a part of Greg that wondered if it was just for show. But, none the less Nick had invited Greg round later that night to watch a baseball game, a sport Greg actually followed and liked.

After dumping his files for the day and his kit in his trunk Greg climbed into the driver's seat and placed his key in the ignition. He adjusted the rear view mirror slightly only to jump a little startled by the sight of a man stood behind his car.

"Jason?" Greg said questioning himself. He thought Nick had got rid of the older Texan, but as Nick's brother approached the car Greg found that clearly wasn't the case. Greg sat with his hands frozen to the steering wheel as Jason opened the passenger door and sat down beside him.

"Drive" Jason commanded in his low Texan brawl. There was a click as he took the safety off a revolver and pointed it towards Greg.

Greg had to stop himself from gulping as he looked down the shiny barrel of the gun feeling terrified. His eyes were wide and he gripped the steering wheel so tight with his shaking hands that his knuckles had gone white.

"Where to?" he asked in a small whisper not daring to fight the Texan who was much bigger than him not to mention the fact he was armed and Greg wasn't.

Jason simply smiled a know-it-all smile.

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Nick was still in the lab using Grissoms desk as he had a report to finish before he could go home. He sat with his chin propped in his hand tapping the end of the pen up and down on the paper and staring at the wall opposite. He had been feeling a little better since he managed to vent his frustrations out on Jason and told him how he really felt, but there was still something that bothered him.

Part of him wished he'd maybe just listened to what Jason had to say and see if he really was sorry, but that was soon washed away when he remembered all the stuff his brother said and did to him that made his childhood a misery.

He thought back to the first time he realised something was seriously wrong with his brother…

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A five year old Nick Stokes rubbed his eyes wearily as he sat up in his bed in his house in Texas. There was a tapping noise at his window and he looked over to see someone was throwing stones at it. He grabbed hold of his teddy's arm and went over to the window, opening it and peering outside.

"Jason?" he said looking down at his sixteen year old brother in disbelief.

"Nicky…" his brother hiccupped and swayed around a little even though he was stood still. Of course at that age Nick wasn't aware of exactly how drunk his brother was. "Nicky you gotta open the door for me" Jason slurred.

"Why you out so late?" Nick asked sleepily "Mommy and Daddy will be mad"

"They won't be if you don't tell them!" Jason retorted getting frustrated now. He hiccupped again and nearly fell over "Now open the door squirt, and be quiet so you don't wake anyone else."

Nick sighed "Fine" he replied grumpily climbing down the window ledge and dragging his teddy across the floor with one arm, he began to hop down the stairs.

He had to stand on the tip of his toes to reach the key in the door before turning it and opening the door for his brother. Jason staggered in nearly knocking Nick over as he fell onto the couch. Nick went over to his brother to see what was wrong but then wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Jay, why do you smell so bad?" Nick asked not releasing it was alcohol wrecking up his brothers breath and clothes.

"Shut up Nick!" he brother mumbled as he was buried face down in the couch cushion. Nick started to get a little worried and scared; his brother never normally got this angry.

"Jay are you ok?" Nick asked his brother quietly "should I get mom and dad?"

"No don't you dare!" Jason whispered aggressively as he got up to glare at his little brother. Nick looked wide eyed in fright and clutched his teddy close to his chest.

"But…" Nick started to protest, only being small he still wasn't sure when it was best for him to stop talking.

"No but's Nick!" Jason said shoving his little brother to the floor. Nick fell over with a thud and hit his head on the coffee table. He rubbed it and felt tears welling in his eyes but he didn't want to cry in front of Jason so he held them in. "You ever tell mom and dad about this and bad things will happen to you, do you understand me?" Jason said standing over his brother now and glaring. Nick sniffed and nodded. "Now go back to bed!" The older boy commanded pointing up the stairs.

Nick started crying then as he quickly ran upstairs and buried himself under his covers his head still hurting. He tried to go to sleep but he couldn't stop thinking about how mad Jason was and how he'd shouted at him, and then pushed him.

The next morning Nick's mom noticed the bump on the back of her smallest sons head and when asked where it came from Nick looked over at Jason for help but his brother just glared at him, the same as last night. Eventually Nick told her he'd hit on the wall in bed scared what his brother would do to him if he told the truth.

Later that day the rest of the family went out except for Nick and Jason. The older brother claimed he wasn't feeling very well and their mother suggested Nick stay behind to keep him company and take his mind off things. Nick didn't want to be alone with his brother after last night but agreed to keep his mother happy.

As soon as they left Jason went up to his room and slammed the door shut whilst Nick sat at the kitchen table drawing, after a couple of hours Nick started to get curious about what his brother was doing up there so he decided to go take a look. He bobbed up the stairs and slowly approached Jason's room, the door was slightly ajar. He could hear sniffs coming from inside and Nick frowned thinking his brother was crying.

Nick peeked through the crack in the door and frowned in confusion when he saw his brother lent over his desk sucking some white powder up his nose.

"Jay what are you doing?" Nick asked quietly opening the door.

"Nick!" he brother yelled in outrage storming over and grabbing Nick by the arm pinning him to the wall.

"Jason stop it hurts" Nick moaned but his brother ignored him.

"How long have you been here!" his brother yelled, Nick didn't understand. "Nick you dumb ass what did you see!" he commanded slamming the then small boy against the wall.

"I saw…" Nick started trying hard not to cry again "I saw you put that white stuff in your nose… what is it?"

"Shut up ok" Jason said squatting down to Nick's height and pointing a finger in his face "if you tell anyone about this then you will be in a lot of trouble, you understand?" Jason said with a manic look.

"I'm gunna tell mom and dad, you're sick or something" Nick protested, worried about the way his brother had been acting recently.

"Too hell you are" Jason growled grabbing the squirming little boy by the arm and dragging him over to the closet. "Bad things happen to bad boys Nick, and if you watch people when they don't want to be watched then you're going to be punished" Jason said and with that he shoved Nick into the cramped closet and looked the door. Nick was immediately plunged into darkness.

"Jay, please!" Nick yelled banging on the door but his brother ignored his cries of terror.

"Be quiet!" Jason yelled "I'm teaching you a lesson ok it's for your own good, I'll let you out when mom and dad get home but if you don't behave I'll tell them how bad you've been and they'll get mad."

So with that the little boy sank to the floor and cried quietly to himself, scared of the dark and the small cramped space, wondering what was wrong with his normally joking and protective brother…

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_Five hours… _Nick thought to himself back in the present day_. Five hours I spent in that God forsaken closet. _No wonder when he was buried alive, that memory replayed in his mind. How scared and confused he had felt.

After that incident it just kept happening over and over again. Jason would go out, get drunk and high, stagger home, get pissed and take it out on Nick, hitting him and saying horrible things. Nick would always have to come up with excuses whenever his parents asked where the bruises came from, but he never told them the truth from fear of what Jason might do to him.

When Jason left for university when he was eighteen, Nick was eight and he couldn't have been happier. He finally got to act normal with his other brothers and sisters and not worry about Jason coming home late at night. Yes, he thought it was over…but then a year later, when he was nine…

Nick sighed deeply to himself as he finally finished the report, he didn't want to think about it or his brother anymore. Closing the file and leaving it on Grissom's desk, he could finally get ready to go home and spend a much needed guy's night in with his best friend.

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"Why are you doing this?" Greg pleaded to Jason. It was hard for him to keep concentrated on the road ahead when there was a gun pointed at his side.

"Because I want my brother back" Jason replied absentmindedly as he stared out the window, he had never been to Vegas before.

"And how exactly is kidnapping me going to achieve that?" Greg asked as confidently as possible although his hands where still shaking.

"Because right now it's apparent to me you mean a lot more to Nicky than I do" Jason growled in a hateful tone "besides it's hardly kidnapping, I want you take me to Nick's place."

"Why, what are you going to do?" Greg asked desperately. There was no way he was going to purposefully put Nick in danger.

"Don't worry, why would I hurt Nick when I'm trying to make up with him?" Jason pointed out but Greg hardly believed him. Greg also noted how the older Texan didn't say anything about _him _not getting hurt.

"Look, maybe if you just told me what's going on between you two then I can talk to him for you" Greg suggested. It was a stab in the dark he knew but he just wanted to remain calm and try and overcome the situation.

"Did Nick ever tell you about what happened to him when he was nine?" Jason asked his eyes narrowing in thought.

"Yeah…" Greg said slowly. Firstly he was surprised Jason had responded to him, maybe he had stuff to get off his mind. But secondly he wondered what Nick's horrible incident with his baby sitter had to do with anything.

"Well what if I told you…" Jason started looking at Greg now "What if I told you it was my fault…"


	4. Chapter 4: Better Than You

**A/N: What up humans/ aliens! Thanks for the super awesome reviews as well as reading/ favouriting/ following, makes me feel awesome :) So I know I said this would only be 3 or 4 chapters but I'm gunna need 5 because I just keep having ideas XD so here is chapter four. This is my take on what happened to Nick when he was nine but don't worry it's not graphic! Plus I thought I'd reverse the roles a bit and make Greg protective of Nick for a change ;)**

**Please Review :) xx**

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**Chapter 4: Better Than You **

A nine year old Nick Stokes sat at the dining room table drawing happily as his parents got ready to go out for the evening. The rest of his siblings had gone off the movies for the night, but Nick couldn't go because he was too young so Jason had agreed to come round and babysit with a friend. Nick was not looking forward to it at all.

"Ok bye sweetie" Nick's mother said giving him a kiss. Nick stuck his tongue out in disgust and the woman laughed. "Now, you be good for Jason."

"He will be" Jason said confidently looking at his little brother with a raised eyebrow and Nick nodded his head vigorously.

It was about ten minutes after their parents had left when there was a knock at the door.

"That'll be her!" Jason said excitedly and went to answer it. Nick continued drawing after being strictly warned by his brother to stay out of the way.

Moments later a tall girl with long, wavy blond hair appeared in the dining room smiling at Nick. She had a short skirt on and a skimpy vest top, but Nick didn't think anything of it at that age.

"Are you Jason's friend?" Nick asked the girl inquisitively. She nodded "But…you're a girl!" he said sounding outraged.

The girl simply laughed. "Aww well ain't you a cutie" she said in a thick Texan accent. "My name's Lucy and I'm here to help look after you."

"Hey Lucy, I'm Nick…but you can call me Nicky" the little boy said already liking the pretty girl.

"Ya know, I think I might" the girl said coming and squatting down beside Nick. "You like candy Nicky?" she asked taking a bag of jelly beans out of her purse.

Nick nodded and sneaked a glance into the girl's purse. Inside was another bag filled with the same white powder Nick had seen Jason putting in his nose four years ago. He still didn't understand what it was.

"What's that for?" he asked pointing at the white powder. Lucy kept calm and simply smiled.

"That's erm…grown up candy, for me and Jason. You're too little to have it" she explained gently.

"Am not" Nick protested folding his arms "I'm nearly ten, that's double digits!" the girl just laughed again.

"Nick, stop being such a brat!" Jason said coming out of nowhere and taking Lucy by the arm "Come on babe let's go…eat the candy" he said with a smirk and she smirked back. "You stay here or else!" he added with a threatening look at Nick.

"Here you go" Lucy said handing the bag of jelly beans over to Nick and then Jason dragged her from the room as she giggled.

Nick continued with his drawing for a while whilst happily eating the candy, when he heard a loud thud come from upstairs. Frowning, the curious young boy decided to go and see what was happening. He ran quickly up the stairs and headed for his brother's bedroom. He looked in horror at the sight of his brother lying still on the floor with his eyes closed and shirt ripped open. Lucy lay over him giggling. Her hair was now messy and the straps on her t-shirt had fallen from her shoulders.

"What's wrong with him!?" Nick asked terrified at the sight of his brother.

The girl look startled for a moment before smiling at the little boy. Unbeknown to Nick at that moment she was as high as the empire state and so was his brother.

"Nothing Sweetie he's just sleeping" she whispered and put a finger to her lips.

"Oh…ok" Nick said not sure if he believed her or not, but that's what it looked like to him.

Nick may only have been nine but he was very bright for his age and could normally tell when something was wrong. He wished that had been one of those times.

"Say Nicky, why don't you show me your room?" the girl asked innocently. Nick thought it to be a bit of an odd request but nodded anyway. She staggered over as he led her down the hall. "How come you've barricaded your closet?" she asked looking at the piles of books and toys in front of the door.

"Jay locked me in there once." Nick told her solemnly. She seemed nice enough, someone he could trust. "He's so mean to me. He always yells and he pushes me and hits me!"

"Aww Nicky that's awful!" Lucy said seeming genuinely upset. "I didn't know Jason could be so cruel. You don't deserve that, you're a good boy" she said putting a hand on the little boys arm. "Let me give you a special hug to make you feel better." She said with somewhat of lopsided grin which Nick didn't take much notice of.

"Ok" he said innocently and wrapped his arms cautiously around the girl she put her arms around him too.

But the small boy did not notice her hands getting lower and lower down his back…

* * *

"How is it your fault?" Greg demanded now. He was getting pissed. He knew how much of an ordeal that had been for Nick and to think someone who was supposed to be his older brother had caused it…that just made Greg mad. "What did you do!" he nearly yelled that time after Jason did not respond.

Jason gave a shaky sigh and explained how he had been the one to invite Lucy round to snort the cocaine in the first place. The more he explained the angrier Greg got, he couldn't believe he'd tried to make Nick see this guy. Jason said he wasn't sure what happened after that because he passed out, but when he came round…

"I felt like shit" he explained running a hand down his face. "I could hear something, but it seemed muffled. I pulled myself up into a sitting position and my head was pounding, the world was spinning. My hearing cleared suddenly and I realised the sound was Nick screaming and crying, but I didn't register why because I was off my head with drugs. I managed to stand up and began to stagger down the hall to the bathroom to try and sort myself out, and I came to Nick's doorway and…"

Jason paused looking down at the floor as tears began to well in his eyes. Greg normally tried to see the best in people no matter what they'd done, But Nick was his best friend and he had been a child…he felt no sympathy for the man sat beside him whatsoever .

"He was so scared" Jason said his voice now quiet and shaky "he kept screaming that he didn't like it and he wanted her to get off him, but she wouldn't let go. He saw me and our eyes met, the fear in his eyes…I'll never forget it. He yelled my name and begged for me to help him…but I didn't" Jason confessed tears now falling. "The drugs were taking over my body and I couldn't register what was happening…so I just walked on by…"

Greg totally lost it then. He didn't care about himself anymore, he never did. He just didn't want to make Nick face this bastard again. The horrible memories Jason must bring. Greg decided If Jason wasn't going to be a brother to Nick then he would be, and part of being a brother was making sure you had the other one's back.

Greg pulled the car over suddenly much to Jason's surprise and turned off the engine "You are one of the most disgusting people I have ever met and I put murderers behind bars!" he yelled "I don't care how freakin' high you were, how the _hell _could you just stand there and watch that happen to your little brother! He was scared out of his mind but all you cared about was yourself. But even before that, hitting him? What the hell was that? That's not what brothers do!"

"You don't think I know that!" Jason yelled but Greg didn't even filch.

"Clearly not!" Greg argued "Dou you realise how much trauma that has caused him, a trauma that you could have stopped if you'd have just pulled yourself together! Nick is the least deserving person I know for something like that to happen to because he has _always_ been there for me and I will always be there for him. If his real brother isn't going to be there for him then I want to make sure I'm a damn good substitute!"

"But I am…I do want to be there for him, that's why I'm here!" Jason protested, he seemed to have forgotten about the gun for the moment as Greg continued to glare.

"Screw this and screw you" Greg whispered angrily "I am not going to take you too Nick's place and defend you, when you don't deserve to see him ever again!" He had never felt so pissed off in his life.

Jason just looked at the kid in shock and awe. Nick had always described Greg to be so mellow and happy, he seemed it, but the guy sat before Jason was absolutely fuming with his eyes narrowed, if looks could kill the Texan would most definitely be dead. The worst part was Jason knew every word the kid said was true…but he wasn't prepared to give up on Nick just yet.

"I don't need you to defend me" Jason said raising the gun, Greg following the barrel with his eyes "I need you for…something else…." And with that he hit Greg, hard, around the side of his head with the gun. Greg fell sideways in shock hitting his head against the dashboard. He was knocked out instantly.

Luckily, Greg had pulled over on an un-busy street. Jason jumped out the car and pulled Greg out from the driver's side, opened the back door and threw him down across the back seats. He then got in the drivers chair and started the car once more, pulling out into the street.

"You are not going to take my brother away from me" Jason growled as he looked at the unconscious Greg in the rear-view mirror. "I'll make sure of it…"


	5. Chapter 5: Caring

**A/N: Hello CSI peeps! Thanks for reading and of course the absolutely fabulous reviews, so here's your quick update as requested and yes, it turns out I am going to need another chapter! My mind just keeps wondering into new thoughts and Ideas ;)**

**P.S. how is the new series of CSI Americans? Unfortunately being English I have to wait until January! How do they expect me to wait that long XD please feel sorry for me :( **

**Please Review :) xx**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Caring **

Nick grew cautious when he arrived home that night to see the living room light was switched on. He was a hundred per cent he hadn't turned it on. He realised Greg's car parked across the other side of the street. He had given Greg a spare key to his house after being buried alive but it was odd for Greg to let himself in without calling first, that's just the kind of guy he was. The Texan walked up to his front door to find it already unlocked.

"Greg?" he called uncertainly but there was no reply. "Greg, are you in here?" he called again but still nothing. He entered the living room to the sight of his brother sat on the sofa polishing the barrel of a revolver.

"Hey Nicky" Jason said quietly without even looking round. He'd seen his brother enter in the now gleaming silver weapon.

"Jason!" Nick yelled in utter shock but the older Texan put a finger to his lips as if asking for quiet. "What the hell are you doing here?!" Nick commanded, ignoring Jason and not lowering his voice at all. "I thought I told you…" he stopped suddenly when he felt a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach "Where's Greg?" he almost whispered as he remembered the car outside.

"He's sleeping" Jason replied bluntly before going back to admiring the gun. That simple statement scared the hell out of Nick.

"What's that mean? Jay where is he!" Nick demanded a response, but instead his brother just smiled.

"You called me Jay" he said with a sense of pride "you haven't done that since you were nine"

"Slip of the tongue" Nick said through gritted teeth. He was getting angry now but also anxious about Greg's safety.

"He's in your bedroom" Jason said unclicking the revolver to check it was fully loaded. Nick didn't say anything else just ran up the stairs too his room.

Greg lay very still facing away from him with one arm handcuffed to the bedpost. Nick could see the blood on the white sheets that had come from Greg's head as the sticky red substance clumped his hair together. Nick ran round so he was in front of Greg and dropped to his knees. Greg's eyes were closed and he wore a somewhat troubled expression on his face, but he genuinely looked like he was sleeping.

"Everything's going to be ok G" Nick said trying to open the handcuff "I'm going to get you out I promise" he felt he needed to say these comforting words even though Greg probably couldn't hear him.

"I used to watch you sleep you know…" Jason said as he suddenly appeared leaning on the doorway. There was something about his voice that seemed distant "When you were a baby, I used stand over your crib and think about all the stuff I was going to teach you. How to play football, how to ride a bike…" he smiled at the memory "I promised I'd be the best big brother in the world."

"Why thanks, I really appreciate the thought" Nick said sarcastically as he searched for the handcuff keys. "But none of that stuff really happened did it? You didn't look after me, you just chose me to treat like crap because I was the youngest, the most naive and easiest to manipulate. "

"I never wanted it to be that way" Jason said trying to seem sorry but Nick just wouldn't listen "Looking for these?" he asked pulling the handcuff keys out of his pocket and dangling them there, now he had Nick's attention.

"Give me those" Nick commanded going over to his brother and making a grab for the keys but Jason moved out the way "Give me those Jason!" he yelled that time but his brother just laughed.

"My, my you have developed quiet the temper. You know I think it's a trait in the Stokes men."

"I am not messing around anymore!" Nick said clenching his fists, ready to use them. "How dare you do that to Greg, this has nothing to do with him! Now give me the God damn key!" he went to take the keys once more but this time Jason grabbed hold of his wrist. He swung Nick round and pinned him up against the wall.

"Not until you listen to me!" Jason said sadistically as he got his face right in Nick's.

"Why the hell should I listen to you?" Nick said quietly, but the intimidated feeling his use to get when he was a child was slowly coming back to him.

"Because your friend's life depends on it" Jason whispered into his little brother's ear. Nick felt the barrel of the revolver being threateningly pressed against his chest "now go back in there, sit down on the bed and listen to me"

Nick slowly nodded without saying a word and did exactly as Jason told him; his and Greg's lives were not worth the risk. Jason started pacing slowly up and down the room but kept the revolver trained on Nick. Nick would keep taking quick glances at Greg over his shoulder but still he did not move. Now he was worried.

"When I was sixteen, college was starting and I was under a lot of stress" Jason started to explain. "I had barely passed high school because I fell in with the wrong crowd. Once the real work started my friend offered me these pills to help me stay up late so I could study more, they weren't your average drugs but I was ignorant to it all. Anyway after that all I wanted was more of those pills, I was hooked. So one night this friend invited me to a party and his said he'd give me something even better than the pills…cocaine, mixed with alcohol, not a good combination."

"So that was the first time you ever came home and hurt me" Nick said quietly. He looked at the floor; he couldn't stand to look his brother in the face. "But that's not an excuse to start taking drugs, a lot of kids have to put up with that kind of stress…I did when I started college." Nick argued.

"I know, I know but at the time for me it seemed like there was no other way out. It helped me escape everything" Jason tried to defend his actions.

"Well if you were having trouble you should have just told mom and dad" Nick countered. "They would have helped you."

Jason snorted "Are you kidding? You know Dad hates me, he feels threatened by me. As for mom you're the youngest so naturally you're her golden boy" he said rather bitterly.

"That's not true!" Nick said raising his voice now "they love us equally and you know that, you're just making up excuses!"

"You believe whatever you want to believe" Jason said stopping his pacing now and standing in front of Nick. "But the point I'm trying to make is…all those times I yelled at you and hurt you. That wasn't me, that's not who I am. That was the drugs taking over, I wasn't in control…I know that's not an excuse" he added when Nick opened his mouth to protest "but I would never mean to hurt you, you're my kid brother and I love you."

"What about the time when I was nine, with Lucy?" Nick asked his eyes now brimming with tears "what was going through your mind when you saw that happening huh? What happened to protecting me?!"

"That was the worst thing that I have ever done, and you well never believe how sorry I am about that. I haven't stopped feeling guilty ever since."

"Oh yeah? Well I haven't felt completely normal ever since!" Nick yelled jumping off the bed "I was nine Jason, nine! I didn't know what the hell was happening but I knew it was bad. I saw you, you looked right at me and I screamed your name and _begged _you to make it stop. But you didn't you didn't make it stop!" he couldn't control his tears by the end. "I couldn't sleep properly for weeks, I was hurting and I couldn't even tell mom or dad from fear you'd do something to me!"

"I know; I know I'm sorry!" Jason yelled putting his hands to his head but still keeping hold of the revolver. "What do you want me to say, what do you want me to do? I'll do anything to put this right" he looked at Nick with pleading eyes and took hold of his arm.

"Get off me!" Nick cried "why don't you get it? Why don't you understand? _Nothing_ you can say or do will _ever_ put this right!"

Just then both men spun round as they heard soft moans coming from the bed.

Greg's head was pounding like crazy; he didn't remember what happened at all. He put a hand to his head and felt the drying blood. His eyes flickered open and his expression turned into a confused scowl. When he tried to move his other hand he found it was attached to the bed. _Where the hell am I?_

"Greg!" he heard someone exclaim and suddenly Nick appeared as he squatted down in front of him, although Greg's vision was still a little out of focus "Buddy can you hear me?" Nick pleaded "Greg, please say something"

"Nick" he said quietly, Nick sighed in relief "Where…what…"

"Ssh everything's going to be ok I promise" Nick said not wanting the younger man to talk much in case he was concussed. "We're in my house…Jason brought you here" he explained gently.

"Jason?" Greg said having to think for a moment, but then is all came flooding back to him like one horrible tidal wave, his eyes widened. "Jason!" he exclaimed that time trying to jump up, but then yelped in pain and fell back down when the handcuff cut into his skin.

"Hey take it easy" Nick urged him, not wanting to get even more hurt "Greggo I'm so sorry you had to get dragged into this".

"Greggo huh?" Jason said looking at Nick as if he found this interesting "So he gets a nickname and I don't…"

"It's not your fault" Greg said sincerely, totally ignoring Jason "you have no reason to feel guilty. If anything I'm sorry for making you talk to that psycho. I know what he did to you…."

"That _psycho_ is still here!" Jason said annoyed at being forgotten. Greg managed to turn himself round and look at the older Texan. "See this is why you will never listen to me because he is always in the way!"

"No, he's not always in the way. It's just the fact he's more of a brother to me then you ever will be and I will always choose him!" Nick exclaimed.

"Oh really?" Jason said with a questionable look "Let's put that to the test shall we…get over there" he said indicating to the corner of the room and pointing the gun at Nick. Nick didn't move he didn't want to be more than a foot away from Greg "Move over there!" Jason commanded aggressively as he took the safety off the gun that time. Nick did as he was told.

Jason went over to the bed and carefully unlocked Greg. The youngest man tried to make a run for it but Jason grabbed him round his waist and pulled him back across the bed.

"Get off me!" Greg pleaded kicking and squirming to get free but the Texan had an iron grip "please let me go!" he was scared out of his mind and close to tears now.

"Choose which one you want to die!" Jason yelled at Nick as he moved the barrel of the gun between his own head and Greg's.

"Jason, please…" Nick started to beg in pure desperation but Jason was having none of it.

"Choose!"


	6. Chapter 6: Help

**A/N: Hello CSI Maniacs! Thanks for all the reviews / favouriting / alerting and reading through – out this story, it makes me one happy chappy :) This is the last chapter! I can't believe I only intended it to be half this long, just goes to show how one small idea can spiral out of proportion XD so thanks again and expect more stories soon!**

**Please Review :) xx**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Help**

"Jason, don't be ridiculous" Nick pleaded trying to get closer, but his brother simply followed his movements around the room keeping the gun on Greg, who had gone still. He looked quite pale and was fighting to keep his eyes open. Nick wondered if his head was hurting.

"But that's just me, I am ridiculous" Jason said cocking the gun slightly. "I'm a ridiculous excuse of a brother"

"I'm not denying that" Nick blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Well…I guess you've made you've choice then" Jason said quietly, now pointing the gun at his own head.

"No, stop…" this was Greg's quite voice now. He sounded pretty weak, sustaining a head injury and then been thrown about a lot was not a good combination. "How's this gunna solve anything…" he said breathing heavily and closing is eyes "What's it gunna prove…"

"Shut up, shut up!" Jason yelled shaking Greg violently who didn't try to fight it "just stay out of this!"

"But he's right Jason. If you kill Greg then I will never speak to you ever again and you will go to prison for the rest of your life. And if you kill yourself, then you'll go knowing that you never managed to make amends with me" Nick pointed out.

"What else can I do?" Jason replied with tears in his eyes, he was genuinely asking. "He is not your brother Nick, I am and I need you to see that that I love you and I'm sorry."

"Well, can't you understand that I'm finding that very hard to believe when you kidnapped my best friend and handcuffed him to a bed?!" Nick countered; he needed to get Greg out of there. "But you know what I will admit, before the drugs and everything or even during…we did have some good times."

"Yeah" Jason said with a lopsided sided smile "Yeah we did"

"I remember the first time you took me to the ball park when I was four and you taught me how to swing and pitch. I remember when I accidently smashed the window, mom and dad were furious but you took the blame for me. And I remember when you put up that swing for me in the back yard and I use to keep telling you to push me higher and higher" The more Nick thought about it, the more he realised just how much he'd missed his brother over the years.

"I really did care about you…" Jason said quietly "I still care about you, and I always will."

"Well then, if you really do care about me then you'll stop scaring me. You'll stop this right here, right now and you'll let Greg go." Nick said as his and his brothers eyes locked.

So, silently, Jason let his arm recoil from around Greg's waist and the revolver slipped finger by finger from his hand until it made a soft clunk as it hit the floor. Greg gasped as a sign of relief and fell forward onto the bed, breathing heavily.

"Oh God, my head…" he mumbled form somewhere amongst the sheets.

"It's ok G I'm going to get you an ambulance, just try not to move" Nick said going to the phone and dialling 911. Jason remained stood silently trembling. "I need ambulance and police please…" Nick spoke to the operator on the phone.

"Police?" Jason said looking wide eyed in fear "No, Nick please you can't seriously put me away!" he pleaded but Nick was too busy talking to the operator to listen. "I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt" the older Texan argued "I just wanted you to listen to me, I'm sorry about this it was a stupid idea, I wasn't thinking straight."

"Right…" Nick said calmly "So if we get the police officers to come take you away then they can get you help." He moved over sit on the bed beside Greg and started to gently rub the younger man's back hoping to calm him down.

"I'm not crazy Nick!" Jason argued storming round so he was stood in front of the younger Texan "I'm just desperate to get my brother back."

"Desperate enough to kidnap my best friend, just to prove a point?" Nick pointed out "does that sound sane to you?" Jason didn't even try and argue back because he knew Nick was right. Then to his, surprise, Nick stood up from the bed and put a hand on his brothers shoulder "it'll all be ok if you let me help you Jay" Nick said sincerely "we'll get you off the drugs…."

"But I am off the drugs!" Jason protested "I have been for nearly twenty five years." The sceptical look on Nick's face said it all. "You don't believe me do you?" he said getting closer to Nick, who started to slowly back away. "Why, why wouldn't you believe me?" Jason asked manically as Nick started to back out of the door with his hands raised defensively.

"Well, with all this, you haven't given me much reason too…I'm not trying to hurt you I'm trying to help you" He was trying to remain clam but that déjà vu sense of fear was slowly creeping up on him.

"Help me…" Jason whispered following Nick out the doorway "Help me!" he yelled that time "you think locking me in some padded cell is going to help me!"

"Stop it!" came the sudden cry from behind Jason as someone grabbed the back of his shirt. It was a shaky Greg, he'd pulled himself together to come to Nick's aid. "Please you're taking this all wrong…" Greg tried to defend his friend.

"You just won't go away will you!" Jason yelled as he punched the younger man in the jaw and Greg feel to the floor with a startled whimper.

"Jason!" Nick called trying to distract his brother, but still he found himself backing further and further away trying to escape his brother's wrath. Jason turned back to look at Nick but looked wide eyed in horror.

"Nicky look out!" he called. Nick just gave a confused look not knowing what he was talking about.

He hadn't been paying attention to how far back he had been walking, until his left foot left the ground as he began to fall backwards over the stairs.

Nick wasn't sure what happened next, but moments later he found himself being held tightly in his brother's arms as Jason breathed heavily. When he saw his little brother about to fall down the stairs he had immediately jumped forward and grabbed Nick's arm, pulling him to safety. Greg remained in silent awe.

"I could have lost you" Jason whispered in his brother's ear as he buried his head in Nick's shoulder "I could have lost you." Nick knew how true this could have been, he had seen plenty of cases were people had died from falling, or being pushed, down the stairs.

"It's…its ok" Nick said slowly putting his arms around his brother too. "I'm, I'm ok" _That _was the kind of protective things brothers should do for each other, have each other's backs. Jason did care. "But if you really want to keep me, then please get some help for your anger"

"I will" Jason said, now realising that on several occasions, including this one, his anger had could have cost his little brother's life. "I will."

* * *

_**3 Months Later…**_

"Hey Nick" Greg said happily as he found the older CSI sat in the break room one morning. The injuries he had received from the incident were long gone after being taken to the hospital. "How did the counselling go?" he asked sitting down with his own cup of coffee.

"Pretty good" Nick said putting down the file he was reading and turning to Greg. "Jason is really making some breakthroughs with his anger issues, I think he's feeling a lot better about himself"

"And you?" Greg asked concededly "how are you doing?"

Nick sighed and thought about this momentarily. "All that stuff he did when I was a kid…it will always be there and I'll never forget it. It will always affect me in certain ways and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to one hundred per cent forgive him. But then I see how desperate he is to change and prove himself. He hasn't taken drug in twenty five years and he's ended up with a pretty decent career, and what I said about us having good memories? Well it's true we did and he did protect me…so I guess its mixed emotions really."

"Are you going to continue talking to him?" Greg asked.

"Yeah…I mean I can't just cut him out of my life again not after what's been said and done. I realise that by pushing him away now, I'm just as bad as when he used to push me away. But now with the help, I guess we're closer then we have been in a long time."

"Good" Greg said with a small smile "I'm glad."

"Thanks for being so supportive Greg" Nick said sincerely "And you know what, sometimes it doesn't matter if all my other siblings are back in Texas, because I got you, right here. It may not be in blood but you are my little brother who I will protect, no matter what anyone else says."

"Thanks Nick" Greg said with a wide smile "that means a lot"

And with that the two men went off to get their next case, laughing and joking just like brothers should do.


End file.
